Axion slipped through the shadows of the alley, glancing around to make sure no one was following her as she made her way to the Vigil. As she stepped through the door, her gaze swept over the dim interior, taking in the dusty shelves and cluttered tables.
"Virgil?" Axion called out tentatively.
No answer.
Wonder if he's out today?
She checked both floors of the building but found it empty. He wasn't in his office or down in the basement either. Figuring he'd turn up soon enough, she headed to the training area behind the building.
As she approached, she caught sight of Virgil standing near the target dummies. Before she could call out to him, she noticed someone else beside him.
A familiar face. Quinn?! Why's he here?!
Axion hid around the corner, keeping quiet as she watched them.
Virgil said something to Quinn and motioned towards one of the dummies. Quinn nodded and faced the wooden construct. After a deep breath, he charged forward, lowering his shoulder as he barreled toward it. At the last minute, he changed direction, pivoting around the dummy and slamming his elbow into its back. The impact caused the dummy to tip slightly, its base shifting across the ground. Quinn used his momentum to slam his other fist into its side, toppling the target over and smashing its head. He let out a triumphant cry, pumping his fists in victory.
"Not bad," Virgil praised, clapping his hands together. "Little rough around the edges, but we can work on that. Next, let's move on to practicing the proper technique for a grapple."
What's going on? Why is Quinn with Virgil? Does this have something to do with...
"Stop lurking and get your ass over here, girl." Virgil waved her over without even bothering to look back. "I know you've been watching. Come on. Get over here, pronto."
Axion jumped and peered around the corner. She hadn't expected him to notice her presence so easily. Crap. There's no choice but to approach now. Reluctantly, she emerged from the shadows and joined the two men.
"Ah, there she is," Virgil greeted, offering a wry smile. "Perfect timing. We were just going over some things."
Quinn turned towards her and immediately stiffened. He cleared his throat and nodded. "Hey, uh, nice to see you again."
"Um, hey...you, too." Axion muttered awkwardly, feeling increasingly uncomfortable. She glanced between the two of them, hoping someone would speak up and explain.
Virgil didn't keep her waiting long. He straightened, folding his arms as he began. "So, you're probably wondering what's going on here, hm? I'll get right to the point. Thanks to your little stunt a couple of weeks ago, Quinn here has discovered your secret identity." He paused as he gauged her reaction. "If you've got any semblance of a brain, it doesn't take much to put two and two together."
"W-wait, so..." Axion stuttered, taken aback. "He knows?"
Quinn nodded and offered a weak smile. "Uh...yeah. Sorry, Fii."
Fuuuuck.
Her shoulders slumped. "D-did you tell anyone else?"
"Nope. Didn't breathe a word. I promised you, remember?" Quinn answered hastily. "Still keeping my word."
Okay, so that's a small relief, at least.
She sighed heavily as she clutched her head in dismay. "But wait...why are you here now?" Axion jerked her chin toward Virgil. "Did he force you into anything? Are you okay?"
"Actually, he invited me," Quinn interjected. He hesitated before continuing. "I was kinda scared at first, but after a talk with Virgil, I agreed to keep the secret. And...I'm going to help you guys."
Help...us? As in, he's going to help the Vigil?
"You serious?" Axion asked. "You wanna work with us?"
Quinn nodded. "Yeah, I'm not afraid of getting my hands dirty, and this'll be a great opportunity for me. Plus, Virgil thinks I've got potential, which I'm not convinced about myself. So...what do you think?"
Axion glanced at Virgil, who nodded once.
He must've already filled Quinn in. Well, if Virgil approved, and if Quinn agreed...then there shouldn't be a problem. Right? Besides, Quinn was a pretty reliable guy—a lot more reliable than her if she didn't have any powers.
Still, he didn't deserve to get dragged into this, but she also couldn't deny having him around would make things a bit easier. And less lonely. Plus, if he was going to join the Vigil, that meant they'd be spending more time together...like...now, for example.
"You sure about this, Quinn? It's not going to be safe. You might end up getting hurt. Or worse." Axion warned. "I don't want you to get involved if you don't want to."
"Hey, don't worry about me. I'm a tough guy, you know?" Quinn interrupted, cracking his knuckles. "I can handle a few punks, believe me. I ain't gonna be a burden. In fact, I'm excited about this. Really. So...don't sweat it." He grinned cheekily.
Axion frowned and crossed her arms, unconvinced by his bravado. "Hmm, okay...well, as long as you're sure about this."
Virgil cleared his throat loudly. "Now that we've cleared the air, there's a few more rules to go over. First off, no using your real names during patrols or operations. Got it? Use your code names instead. Fii, you're Axion. Quinn, you're...hm..." He scratched his chin thoughtfully as he searched for an appropriate nickname. "I'll let you figure it out yourself."
"Gotcha," Quinn agreed.
"Second, don't waltz in here whenever you please. No one can find out that the Vigil is active, especially the gangs. Under no circumstances are you allowed to bring strangers inside unless I'm here to approve it. This goes double for you, Fii. Remember, we're on the down-low. Any funny business, and you'll both get your asses handed to ya. And not in a fun way."
Axion nodded silently, acknowledging the order. She noticed Quinn nodding as well.
"Lastly, no fooling around during patrols. Stick to business and only business." Virgil pointed a stern finger at both of them. "No chit-chat, no jokes, and certainly no fraternizing while on duty. If I catch you flirting or screwing around, I'll personally beat the both of y'all until your eyes bleed. Got that?"
Both nodded vigorously, shooting glances at each other.
"Good. With that settled, we're done for today. Dismissed." Virgil dismissed the pair, waving them away as he walked back toward the main building.
As he disappeared into the shadows, Axion took a breath and exhaled slowly. She turned to face Quinn and fidgeted nervously, unsure of what to say.
"Um, so...guess we're partners now, huh?" Axion managed to stammer out.
"Seems so, yeah," Quinn replied casually. "Doesn't sound so bad if you ask me." He smiled reassuringly before shrugging. "Look, I don't expect you to trust me immediately, but I'm grateful you're giving me the chance. And, hey, thanks for saving me earlier. Otherwise, we wouldn't even be in this situation, would we?" He chuckled lightly.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
"True, yeah," Axion replied, returning the laugh. "I just hope things won't be awkward between us."
"No worries, nothing's going to change, not on my end anyway. I'll still treat you like a friend, even though I'll be calling you 'Axion' instead of 'Fii' when you're wearing the suit. Sounds a bit formal, to be honest." He tilted his head curiously. "Can I ask, does your family know about all of this?"
"Oh, uh, I don't have any family anymore, so no." Axion answered quietly, dropping her gaze to the ground. "I live alone."
"I see. Same as me then," Quinn murmured softly. He gazed off into space pensively, then returned his attention to her. "Well, as long as we've got each other's backs, I think we'll do just fine. Let's give it our all, hm?" He held out his hand toward her.
Axion stared at his outstretched palm for a moment. She took hold of it firmly and gave a firm shake. "Sure, I'm in."
"Great." Quinn flashed another crooked grin before turning to leave. "Guess I'll see you around, partner."
With a wave goodbye, he ambled off in the direction of his workshop.
Once he was gone, Axion heaved a heavy sigh and leaned against the wall.
The only plan she had this evening was to show off her new abilities to Virgil. Yet somehow, she ended up with a new teammate. And not just anybody, either. Quinn.
Wonder how Edith's going to react.
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Edith tapped her finger on her desk as she glared at Virgil sitting across from her, eating a sandwich. He took his sweet time savoring every bite while she stewed in silence, seething with anger. The infuriating man refused to meet her gaze, focusing on the food in his mouth instead. She clenched her hands tightly and resisted the urge to throttle him.
Eventually, Edith cracked, unable to contain her frustration. "For God's sake, Virgil, can you stop stuffing your face with that damn sandwich and pay attention?!" She growled. "This is serious! Do you even understand what you've done? How many potential issues you created?! Do you know how irresponsible this is?!"
Virgil swallowed and wiped his mouth clean with his sleeve. He crumpled the paper wrapper into a ball before tossing it aside carelessly. He took his time leaning back into his chair, crossing his legs comfortably. He finally directed his gaze toward her and arched an eyebrow, amusement dancing across his features.
"Problems? Nonsense, Edith. Everything's under control. Don't worry so much. It's unbecoming of a lady such as yourself."
"This isn't a joke! That guy could cause serious problems!" Edith retorted hotly, slapping her hands on the table. "You've introduced another variable to the equation, and I don't like this. This is reckless and impulsive and unnecessary. What were you thinking? How could you possibly justify this?"
"Would you have preferred that I killed him as I did with the Gully Rats that also saw Fii that day?"
"Well, no, but—" She faltered. "Still! This wasn't called for."
"I disagree. He could prove useful to Fii. Also, the boy's smart; you should give him a chance. He's got potential. We could use someone like him on our side. I don't know why you're getting so worked up over nothing."
"It's not nothing, Virgil," Edith fumed, rising to her feet. She leaned forward, staring daggers at the infuriating man before her. "Everything is NOT peachy keen and sunshine and daisies, thank you very much! How many times do I have to say it?! This was stupid, foolish, dangerous, and—and idiotic!"
Virgil scoffed dismissively and rolled his eyes. "Oh, come off it, woman. Unlike you, I know how to read people, and I can tell that boy won't go babbling about her identity. Not intentionally, anyway. I assessed his character thoroughly before deciding to recruit him. Stop being paranoid."
"Paranoid? I'm not being paranoid!" She scowled at him before adding in a haughty tone. "And I don't like the way you just referred to me. I'm a scientist—not woman, sweetheart, dear, or whatever other nonsense term you deign to call me. You'd do well to remember that!"
"Fine. How's 'sugar tits' or 'lady bits' sound, hm? Is that better?" He quipped smugly.
"God, I hate you so much sometimes." Edith hissed under her breath, pinching the bridge of her nose in exasperation. "Why are you so difficult? Just tell me why you decided to drag in some random kid off the street."
"Firstly, I didn't 'Drag' him in; I simply suggested a way to solve an existing problem. Second, Fii's secret was bound to be exposed at some point, whether through her carelessness or someone else's. Best we prepare for that inevitability. Third, like I said earlier, the boy's a smart cookie. A tad uneducated and rustic, but he possesses the knowledge needed to help us with certain matters. You need to get it through that head of yours that Fii can't do everything by herself, even if you're there feeding her instructions through her helmet." He smirked knowingly. "Isn't that right, Doctor Edith?"
Edith gnashed her teeth, grinding them together angrily. "Oh, piss off," she mumbled, sinking into her seat, defeated. She hated losing arguments against Virgil. Mostly because he often made valid points, which were annoyingly right, but also because he delighted in pointing out her shortcomings and flaws.
Arrogant bastard.
She clicked her tongue irritably and crossed her arms. "Fine, fine. Do whatever you want. But I swear, if this screws anything up, I'm going to blame you. So don't complain to me if this goes badly, alright?"
"Relax, Doc, I've got this covered. Trust me. And if anything happens, I'll take full responsibility," he reassured, raising both hands placatingly. "Now, then...if you're finished bellyaching, there's another reason why I asked for this meeting. Care to listen?"
She eyed him warily but remained silent, waiting for him to continue.
Virgil reached into his coat pocket and retrieved a folded piece of paper. He unfolded it and slid it across the table toward her. "I haven't been completely truthful with you about the time when I said that I've dealt with the supplier of the Shiver drug. He got away."
"What?!" Edith snatched the document off the table and scanned its contents, her eyes widening as she read the information written on the page. "The Mad Chemist?..."
"The very same one," he confirmed with a nod. "Salvatore, or rather a proxy of his, gave that drug to the Neon Vipers in exchange for the supply of venom that I handed to you that time. You still got it?"
"Yes, I stored it at the lab." She murmured distractedly, turning her attention back to the report. "Wait...hang on..." she muttered under her breath, her brow furrowing. "Why'd you wait until now to tell me about this?"
Virgil shrugged nonchalantly. "Wanted to confirm some things before talking about it. I thought it was just a one-time thing, but I've caught wind of a few whispers of late that suggest otherwise."
He rested his chin on top of steepled fingers, tapping them together rhythmically. "Salvatore's main product is illegal bio-engineering. You've probably heard about those super soldiers that private corporations and even the military secretly use, right?"
Edith nodded. "You're talking about Adrenomancers."
Of course, she'd heard of them. It wasn't common knowledge, but every geneticist and biochemist had at least a vague understanding of what the super soldier process involved.
Salvatore specialized in producing these kinds of individuals—Adrenomancers, as they'd come to be known—through highly complex chemical treatments combined with extensive physical training. They were genetically engineered soldiers capable of enhancing their physical attributes by utilizing specialized drugs injected into their bloodstream. These drugs enabled them to achieve greater speeds, strength, and endurance than any normal human being.
These drugs also came with the added drawback of shortening their lifespan drastically; most Adrenomancers lasted around five years at the most before expiring. Only Salvatore could produce these drugs, and he was notoriously secretive about its formula. Any attempts to replicate its production resulted in failure, regardless of method. Because of this, his work was infamous throughout the underworld.
If Salvatore was involved, it was most likely connected to illicit dealings. The question was, why did he have contact with the gangs in the slums? What was his goal?
"I'm pretty sure that the venom samples that he wanted from the Neon Vipers were specifically meant to be used in his next batch of Adrenomancer drugs. Not sure where the other gangs come in yet, but I suspect they'll play a key role in this as well."
He leaned back, tilting his chair onto two legs. "Judging from what I've observed, I can deduce three possibilities for why Salvatore's poking around the slums: number one, he's working with the gangs to distribute the drug Shiver to increase awareness and demand for the Adrenomancers that he creates; number two, he needs something specific from the slums and he's working with the gangs to obtain it; or third, he's planning a major operation here soon, and the gangs will provide assistance."
"What does Shiver have to do with Adrenomancers? I've checked. It's just another opioid. Granted, it's an unusually potent one, and it causes aggressive behavior and high levels of euphoria, but it's not a performance-enhancing drug."
Virgil tapped his nose knowingly. "Right. I think Shiver is intended to be a sort of...primer. An appetizer. Its symptoms are the same as the early stages of Adrenomancer enhancement."
Edith narrowed her eyes. "Wait, hang on, you're saying Salvatore is distributing drugs like Shiver to test the waters and what? Find test-subjects to turn into Adrenomancers?"
"Makes sense, don't you think? Think about it: addicts will do anything to get their hands on more of the drug. He spreads the addiction first, then uses those who are already addicted to become his test subjects. Those that don't get killed from their violent behavior or die from overdose would likely make decent candidates for conversion into Adrenomancers, right?"
Edith considered the implications carefully. It didn't sound too farfetched. If the Mad Chemist Salvatore truly was using the slums as a testing ground, that would explain why he chose to interact with the local gangs.
"Hmm, I suppose that theory is plausible. But that's a risky way to find subjects, isn't it? Couldn't he just go to some prisons or hospitals and...oh...uh, wait...forget I said that." She coughed nervously and averted her gaze.
Virgil rolled his eyes. "I'm not the expert here. You are. But I reckon this is his strategy. Problem is, I don't know the exact details of his plan. My gut says he's got something else cooking, and he's gathering the ingredients now. Which means we gotta nip this in the bud as soon as possible, or else the slums are in for a world of hurt."
Edith rubbed her temples wearily as she contemplated the matter further. "I suppose the first step would be figuring out how deep he's been manipulating things. Have you found anything else?"
"Actually, yes, as luck would have it."